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<\/p>\nRishi Sunak’s hopes of making a triumphant visit to India to seal a trade deal this month look to have faded.<\/p>\n
There had been speculation the PM would travel to the subcontinent to sign off terms in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n
Cricket-mad Mr Sunak could have tied in the trip with watching the World Cup, where England is defending their title.<\/p>\n
However, the tour is now regarded as ‘very, very unlikely to happen’ after the negotiating teams failed to settle spats over visas and access to markets.<\/p>\n
The UK and India had a \u00a336billion trading relationship in 2022\/23 but successive premiers have been eager to deepen ties with the fast-growing economy and its 1.4billion citizens.<\/p>\n
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There had initially been hopes Rishi Sunak would ink terms with Narendra Modi (pictured together) when he attended the G20 in India last month<\/p>\n
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There had been speculation the PM (pictured last month with wife Akshata) would travel to the subcontinent to sign off terms in the coming weeks<\/p>\n
Boris Johnson originally targeted a finalising an agreement in October last year, but India’s desire for more visas to be granted to study and work in Britain has been a sticking point.<\/p>\n
There had initially been hopes Mr Sunak would ink terms when he attended the G20 in India last month, but that came to nothing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Downing Street insisted the PM will not rush a pact, after Liz Truss was criticised for forcing through an overly-generous deal with Australia.<\/p>\n
Allies have been mooting a further trip by Mr Sunak – whose billionaire in-laws live in India – this month. It has been conceived as a colourful celebration of long-standing cultural links between the nations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But one government official told the Financial Times: ‘The discussions are not where we want them to be.’\u00a0<\/p>\n
They complained that New Delhi was concentrating on what they ‘want’ to secure rather than what they ‘need’.<\/p>\n
Britain is keen to widen trade in services, whisky and cars, while India is pushing for access for goods, lawyers and accountancy, and work visas.<\/p>\n
An insider told MailOnline the focus was on the ‘deal not the date’ and ministers will ‘only sign something that works for the UK’.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Downing Street insisted Mr Sunak (pictured) will not rush a pact, after Liz Truss was criticised for forcing through an overly-generous deal with Australia<\/p>\n